Out of the Blue
by Panther Nesmith
Summary: Au story, focusing on a teenage Domino.
1. Prolouge

Domino had been sick for days. She kept thinking back to the week she'd spent away from home, away from all the madness. Sure, there were two decent guys in the group, but the other three more than made up for the two good ones. Things had gotten just a tiny bit worse since she came back, and part of her wondered if they knew that she'd changed. So the sick thing was a blessing, really. It meant she got left behind. Not that being left behind was a good thing, but it gave her plenty of time to think, which she had been avoiding doing.

Three weeks later, she was starting to get nervous. The sickness hadn't abated, and normal bodily functions that she'd come to rely on ceased to be there. The others were relentless, always asking her if she felt 'strong enough' to do anything. Even the leader was becoming too nosy for her taste.

But she was still left behind, all alone, when missions came around. Domino had escaped from a much more guarded place than this before, so slipping out into the afternoon, her worldly possessions stuck in the same backpack she'd brought from the orphanage (and anything of value that belonged to three of the five men), she hoofed it out into the wild world again.

Her first stop was a train station, where she snuck onto an Amtrak train bound North. Putting a country's border between her and the men she'd stolen from seemed like a good idea. The ride gave her even more time to think, and she thought hard. If things were the way she feared they were, then this was going to be one hell of a long year.

She sighed, resting her head against the wall of the cargo area, listening to the sound of the train. If she ever saw Nathan again, she was going to kick his ass.


	2. Chapter 1

The first thing Domino realized when she got to Quebec was that all the cool stuff was happening in other places. But she'd heard of a mercenary who was crazy enough to take any job, and this was where he was last sighted.

It took a month of work, but eventually she got what she needed. It was the name of a bar, in a whole different part of Canada, where the most dangerous man alive was often to be seen. That had to be the mercenary she'd heard about.

It took three jobs for her to make enough money to travel that far. She would have made more in America, where her name had started to become known, but this would do for now. She didn't need to be rich, she just had to be able to move freely. Every job had her hoping she'd be paired up with her quarry, which would make her life so much easier. None of her jobs were even in his league though, since he didn't even get out of bed for less than a hundred thousand dollars.

Once she'd raised the money she set off on the trip; taking nothing but her backpack, a bag of jerky, and some bottled water. It wasn't the best diet for someone who might be pregnant, but at the moment it was what she had. She would get some real food when she arrived at her destination. The train ride was relatively short, anyway, taking only a day. Along the way she snagged a few pieces of fruit and some bread, which she downed eagerly.

Once she made it to her destination, she moved to the highway and waited, hoping for a ride. Getting to the bar was relatively easy. Getting in was hard. She couldn't do anything about the fact that she looked twelve. Not to mention her physical mutations. She tried to slip in, but couldn't get more than five feet without running into a bouncer. They were rough, too, and she didn't want to be thrown more than she had to. So her second option was to wait in the parking lot, and hope he would be obvious when he came out. That one didn't seem like the best option. So she needed a third option.

"I wonder how many bouncers are on the second floor?" Her voice was soft and determined. She'd scaled the walls of buildings before, and being thin and wiry had its distinct advantages. It was easy to haul herself up, and even easier to work her way in from the balcony. As she'd suspected, there weren't any bouncers. This was a completely different area than the bar she'd glimpsed through the crowd. It was an apartment, but it looked like it had been trashed. There were deep gouges in the furniture, always in sets of three.

Slowly, she made her way through the apartment, careful not to disturb anything. For a moment, she was proud of how quiet she was being. Stealth had never been her thing, but this was particularly sneaky. Maybe she'd even find the man she was looking for without being caught.

Until, with no warning whatsoever, she found herself pinned to the wall by someone. Not just anyone, either. He was strong. Definitely stronger than her, and he stank of beer and sweat. "Who are you?" His voice was more a growl than anything else. Domino made a small, high noise, but then came back to herself. She took a deep breath, and glared at his head. He was short, only as tall as her, but he spoke of strength, of violence.

It was kind of hot, actually. "Domino." Her voice was strong, and her gaze was steely. At least, she hoped that was the case. "Who the hell are you?"

He let her go. Which was a surprise. She landed with a thump on the floor, staring up at him. "Go away. You're not in your element, kid." He turned his back to her, and lit a cigar. "This isn't the kind of world you want to be in. It's not safe for kids."

Domino stood, fuming. "How dare you talk down to me." She wasn't dumb enough to initiate violence. But she wasn't leaving. No way. "This is the life I chose, and you are going to teach me, dammit. You're supposed to be the best at what you do, and I want to learn from the best."

He turned, slowly. "No way. I'm not teaching a little girl to do what I do." His voice was serious, very grave. This wasn't a life for anyone, much less a kid who had a future and a chance for a happy life.

Domino rolled her eyes. "You're a freaking mercenary. I'll give you a cut of any money I make while we're together, or whatever." She knew that money was usually the most important thing. At least with all the mercenaries she'd ever worked with.

The man paused for a minute. "You think that I'm a mercenary." His tone was blunt. How the hell had she gotten that idea?

This made Domino pause. "You're not?" Goddammit, this was not the way she'd expected this to go. She put her hands on her hips, glaring at the back of the man's head. It wasn't his fault, but she was mad at him just the same.

He didn't turn around, or even reply in a timely manner. "I'm not a mercenary. I'm just trying to get my life together, kid. And you're not in any shape to be doing that kind of work." He turned toward her. "Who did you think I was?" Now he had to know who she was looking for, maybe he could foist her off on someone else.

"Deadpool." She sat on the low dresser in the corner with a sigh. "I saved up for a fucking month to come here, for some goddamn dead end. Just fucking great." Well, now she felt dumb.

"I'm not Deadpool." He watched her, wondering what had brought such a tiny little girl to want to see Deadpool, of all people. She was something else.

"Great. Well, thanks for your time." She stood again and went toward the balcony. Great. Just great. She'd had to come a lot further north than she liked, and was afraid that there wouldn't be enough work to get her someplace decent.

The man moved, meeting her at the window. She looked up at him, surprised to see that he was free of scars. "Thought you were the most dangerous man in the world."

"I am. That's why you should go. Have a happy, normal life." He realized then that it wasn't the moon making her look pale. And that mark looked familiar, though he didn't know how or why. Something about her spoke to a part of him he hadn't even realized existed.

She shook her head, swinging one lanky leg over the balcony. Normal and her had parted ways a long time ago. "You try that, tell me how it goes."

Inside, the man groaned. This was going to be one of those things he would regret for years, he was sure. But he put his cigar carefully on the rail and hauled Domino back. "Don't get in my way. I'm going to find someplace safe for you, and you're damn well going to like it."

Domino smirked, and stood. "You won't even know I'm there." Which was, probably, a lie. But he didn't know that, yet.

"Who's the kid's father?" Might as well get the potentially painful questions out of the way.

Domino tensed, and looked confused. "None of your fucking business, and a non-issue beside." How did he know that? Was he a telepath? He didn't act like any telepath she'd ever encountered. Usually they didn't leap out of the shadows, they just made you believe you were a cat or whatever.

He nodded. "Good. He'd better stay that way, too. I'm not letting some asshole tag along just because he got lucky." The last thing he needed was yet another snot-nosed teenager following him around. One would be bad enough. Not to mention the other kid, when it became an issue. It occurred to him, for not the first time, that he was a total and complete masochist. "Where are you staying tonight?"

"Got a hotel room down the street."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Paid up for a week."

He nodded. "Good. Now you can get the hell out. Be back here in the morning, or I'll track you down."

"Great. See you then." She smiled and slipped over the balcony, landing on her feet. Well, that had been different than she'd expected. But, in the end, it was still a mission accomplished.


	3. Chapter 2

Domino was at the bar again by dawn. She rarely slept the whole night through anymore, and she was excited to begin her training. She slipped into the bar by the front door, the bouncers having all gotten off of work around three am.

The place was empty, the door left open for her. Apparently Wolverine either was expecting her, or just figured he was bad ass enough to beat up anyone who broke in. Which she had to agree with, really.

She poked around the place, looking for food. She was really hungry. It had been a while since the jerky had run out, and she wasn't feeling very good at the moment. Slowly, she sat at the bar, putting her head down, groaning softly.

She heard him coming down the stairs, but didn't bother looking up. The smell of cigar smoke preceded him. "Your lungs are going to fall out." Her voice sounded weary even to her own ears. He laughed darkly, and poked around behind the bar a little. The sound of eggs cracking made Domino perk up, and she lifted her head.

"Mornin', sunshine. Hungry?" He eyed her, and cracked ten eggs, starting a pan on the small burner and lopping a hunk of butter into the pan. The smell of fried eggs filled Domino's nostrils, and though she was hungry, her stomach turned. He eyed her, then poured a glass of milk. "This'll help. Sick?"

"Not really. Thanks." She took a long drink of the milk, staring at the man. He'd seemed much more fierce the previous night. "Just a little queasy." Stupid mistake. How had she let this happen? Wasn't she supposed to be stronger than her hormones? Arg. Someday she would meet that man again, and then she was going to kick his fucking ass for his part in the mistake. She would kick her own ass in the meantime.

"Hmmm. We're taking off today, kid. Going to Japan. People there who'll know what to do with you, 'cause I sure as hell don't. What do you want to learn, anyway?" He kept cooking, his cigar clenched between his teeth, making his voice sound more harsh than it actually was.

"How to fight. I know how to shoot, how to blow shit up, but I'm not much good in a prolonged fight. It's not a great weakness to have. Especially not now." She took another drink of her milk, her stomach settling a little now that it had food. At least with him she didn't have to hear any bullshit about looking so lost and alone. The way the people on the train had acted, you'd think they never saw a fifteen year old more than ten feet away from their parents. It was only going to get worse as she got more pregnant, too.

He nodded, and set his cigar in an ashtray. "Alright. Then We're definitely leaving. You know Japanese?" He didn't expect her to. In fact, he'd be very surprised if she did. It was a hard language, and had taken him a long time to learn, even through immersion.

"Yeah. I do, actually. I know all the languages." She shrugged. It was just a part of who she was. She'd been like that as long as she could remember. Maybe the priest had taught her in her sleep. There wasn't much she'd put past him.

He shrugged, but didn't make any further comment. The kid was interesting, but he had never been the kind of person who prodded around in people's business. "That'll be good then, since we're going to Tokyo. Got a passport?" Beside, he didn't want to get too attached.

Domino looked sheepish, her eyes fixed on the bottom of her milk glass. "No. I, uh, don't have anything like that." She didn't have any official papers. As far as anyone knew, she had no parents. That was part of what had scared the bishop so much. For all he knew, she had ascended directly from Hell. The plateful of eggs landed gently in front of her, and she nodded her thanks as she stabbed into the eggs, angry now.

Her shift in mood was weird, but he chalked it up to things he didn't give a damn about. IN hsi experience, that turned out to be the best way to deal with strange women, and especially strange teenagers. "Don't worry about it. Papers are easy enough to get. Eat up, it's going to be a long day." He realized after he said it that he shouldn't have wasted his breath. She'd nearly demolished the eggs by the time he finished talking.

After breakfast they set off in a truck that seemed designed to appear and sound on the brink of utter collapse. He wasn't kidding about the day being long, either. First she had gone with Wolverine, who called himself Logan in public, and been told to pick a real sounding name for her passport. She'd decided on Neena Thurmond randomly, and within an hour had all the information a natural born Canadian citizen would have, including a driver's license. Which was good, since she was the one who drove Logan's decrepit truck for the rest of the day. They were apparently leaving on an airplane, and Domino needed to get something to keep her from being sick on the plane, as well as something to eat. Logan hated airplanes normally, traveling with someone who constantly smelled like vomit wasn't going to help.

The trip itself was tedious, and Domino spent as much of it asleep as humanly possible. Logan read the newspaper, then tried to get some sleep himself, with less success. Mostly he wondered how he'd wound up taking care of some random pregnant teenager. It was kind of ridiculous, really. But he couldn't leave someone who was so obviously lost alone. Tossing her into the clan that he'd helped out last time he'd been there seemed like the best option. He wasn't about to deal with a kid and a baby for any measurable length of time.

The welcome at Japan was enthusiastic, and Logan kept Domino close to him, in case anybody decided they wanted to mess with her. Domino didn't appreciate the closeness, or the way people talked about them as they passed. "Do you have to hold onto me? I'm not about to run away from you after all the shit I went through to find you."

He didn't answer her. He just steered and moved quickly, bumping into people now and then. He wanted attention from the right people. When he saw a woman in a yellow silk shirt with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, he knew he was getting closer. She looked like one of the women he'd known in the group, and yellow was their color. He bumped her hard, and spotted two more people, one was a man with a yellow hat, and another a woman with a large yellow flower on her t-shirt.

Domino noticed how they moved. Fluid, graceful. When a third person, another man, came close, she stiffened in Logan's grip. Logan couldn't help but approve. She was good. They would be able to teach her a lot.

Logan ducked down into an alley, and waited for the group to surround him. They wouldn't fight him, because they weren't dumb. But they would want to talk, and that was what he was counting on. The highest ranking member walked forward, her cool expression giving nothing away. "I thought you were never going to return, Logan. Were you not run off by your lover's family?"

Domino listened, curious to learn more. Logan shrugged. "That's between me and them. I'm just delivering something. Your leader still owes me one. I'm cashing in." He nudged Domino out in front, and she realized what was going on just a moment too late.

"Hey, what the fuck?" She turned, glaring at Logan. How dare he foist her off in some strange country with people she didn't know?

The woman eyed Domino, one eyebrow raising. "She does not want to be given to us. And we do not want to take her." Domino huffed. This whole thing was a big stinking piece of crap, and she wished she'd never met Logan, now.

"Kid's good. Been on her own for a while. Independent as a cat, but she needs someone to show her the ropes. I knew that you would do the best job." He shrugged, lighting another cigar. "Of course, you can't make this decision anyway, so let's cut out all the threatening and bullshit, and talk to the person in charge."

The woman nodded, and motioned with her hands. Domino found herself being grabbed by several of the people in the alley, and she couldn't fight them off for anything. A blindfold went around her eyes, and she was hauled up on someone's shoulder. Though she twisted a writhed, she couldn't get free, so eventually she held still, grumbling under her breath.

It wasn't long before Domino found herself being dumped on a floor covered by a mat. The blindfold was taken off, revealing a thin, tall man in a yellow polo shirt and black workout pants. She realized after a moment that she had been dumped into a personal gym. The man bowed to her, and she bowed back. Though he wasn't terribly large, he had an air of strength and command. If this was the leader, she could see why.

"Welcome, Logan-san and guest. You wished to have an audience with me, about the girl's fate, correct?" His English was very good, with almost no accent. Domino was becoming more and more impressed with him.

"Yeah. Kid's name is Domino. She wants to learn how to be a mercenary, and I thought you would be the best to teach her. She's going to have a kid, and needs a stable place to stay, and people of honor around her." Even Logan seemed to respect the man.

He nodded. "I see. Is the child yours, Logan-san? Are we hiding an indiscretion?" Domino made a face, and the man laughed. "Ah, perhaps not. Then come little one. Show me what you can do."

He stood with his hands at his sides, looking at Domino expectantly. She blinked. He actually intended for her to fight him! Even with her arrogance, she knew he was out of her league. He stood there for a minute, before Domino decided on a course of action. She bowed to him, as she'd seen them do on tv, and then then rushed toward the man, figuring she might as well get her asskicking out of the way.

Somehow, though, she managed to dodge his punch, and ducked down, slamming into his stomach. He cried out in surprise, and Domino backed off, mystified. "Oh, wow."

The man laughed and stood. "Are you sure you didn't bring me an Oni, Logan-san? I'll train her. She is of interest." He turned his gaze to Domino. "You need a name. Perhaps in a month or so you will earn one. For now, we will feed you, and show you where you will sleep."

Domino looked back at Logan as she was led off, confused, but not terribly upset. After all, how often did someone get secret ninja training in this day and age?


	4. Chapter 3

The next few months were insane for Domino. Beside her training, which was brutal, her pregnancy seemed to be the worst thing she had ever gone through. The first three months found her constantly sick, and always worn down. Her second trimester was better, but she had to work harder to accommodate her constantly changing form. The last three months she ran away from the clan, tired of their interference. She knew by now how to hide in plain sight, so that no one would notice her. A wide brimmed hat got most of the work done, and she wasn't so short that her age was conspicuous when you couldn't see her face.

The child was born healthy. A girl, who she named Miho, after a character in a comic book. She had taken a few jobs in the last month, which gave her enough money to recuperate and focus on the child for a little while. Miho was a wonder to Domino, who now considered herself to be sixteen. So tiny and innocent, but so loud and demanding. The young woman found that she resented the baby less and less with every day.

The day she decided to return to the clan was a rainy day. She was taking Miho for a stroll, so they could get more diapers and some more of the fish that Domino had come to love. She was singing a simple song to Miho, cradling the tiny baby to her body, her shopping bag bouncing against the back of her legs. Without warning a man came up behind her, scooping Domino into his arms as easily as if she were a ragdoll.

Panic shot through Domino, and she kicked backward, landing her heel right on the man's knee. Though she was a strong woman, and that had been a particularly good kick, he didn't crumple. In fact, she felt as though she'd kicked a brick wall instead of a joint. Which could really only mean one thing. "Asshole. About time your slimy ass showed up here again." Her tone was extremely hostile. He knew that she didn't like being touched overly much, and he definitely knew how little she liked being surprised. Miho, surprisingly, didn't act up, she just continued to sleep on Domino's shoulder. The teenager thanked God briefly for small favors.

Logan laughed and put Domino down, moving around so she could see him. "Clan told me you'd run away. Guess you haven't kept up on your training, huh?" His voice was gruff, though it was nowhere near what she learned was his serious voice. She shrugged, adjusting her bag and her grip on Miho. Miho stirred a little, making a pitiful noise. Domino hummed softly, rubbing the little girl's back a bit. However, her expression didn't soften, and she glared at Logan with all the intensity she could muster. Slowly the baby settled back into her nap, and Domino felt it was safe to talk again.

"What brings your sorry ass back here?" Logan shrugged, chewing on the tip of his cigar. This meant that he didn't want to talk about his reasons for being there. Which only made Domino want to know more. Her expression shifted a bit, and she sighed. "Look, let me get my shopping done and we'll talk someplace where I can put the little sandbag down." She pulled her shopping bag off and shoved it at Logan, who looked at it for a minute, then at her. She sighed again, rolling her eyes. "Will you please hold my bag? Jesus, it's not like I'm exactly unencumbered here." He relented, shouldering the bag, but he didn't say another word.

This was fine with Domino, who didn't take long to do her grocery shopping. Her money was beginning to run out, so all she could afford was rice, her fish, and the diapers. She was going to have to use the cloth ones soon. It was a prospect she did not relish at all. She put on a pair of sunglasses before she approached the checkout, not wanting to be recognized. She was planning on leaving her home later in the week, to seek out a new place, always keeping one step ahead of the clan, who had not taken kindly to her leaving.

She walked with Logan to her hotel room, which was tiny beyond belief. She set her fish in the bathroom sink, which was full of ice, and the rice went in the medicine cabinet. Miho went into the bottom drawer of the dresser, which was lined with blankets and thin pillows that had been stapled to the walls. Logan watched this without comment, deciding that he would sit on the desk chair, his cigar tucked into his pocket, since there was no way he could get enough air in here to breathe if he lit it. Once everything was put to rights, Domino Sat on the bed, the only other horizontal surface, looking up at Logan. "What do you want, anyway?"

"Nice place." His tone was gruff again, and Domino could all but hear the lecture coming. But that was all he said for a minute. Domino continued to look at him, waiting for him to say anything. When he didn't elaborate, she sighed and stood again.

"At least tell me why you're here. I thought you were too busy to be taking care of some random kid and her baby." Her tone was full of frustration. She knew her situation sucked, but she hadn't been able to scratch up enough money to get a plane ticket out of there, and she wasn't about to break the law and get caught. The police wouldn't look so kindly on her, and that would prevent her from running from the clan and taking care of Miho, both things being high on her list of needs at the moment.

Logan shrugged. He was here at Yuriko's request. Domino didn't even know who that was, and Logan was fine with that arrangement. If the kid thought she had the right to know everything about him, she was wrong. "Clan contacted me. Told me that they'd kill you if I didn't bring you back. So here I am, saving your scrawny neck."

She stood, unable to sit anymore. "What the hell do you want from me? I can't stand it there anymore! It's like the fucking walls are closing around me. I can't be one of them, because I'm a gaijin, but I can't leave because I know too much. I hate being trapped, and that's exactly what you threw me into." By the end she was screaming, tears streaming down her face. She was so tired and stressed out and taking care of Miho was so hard! Logan watched her, his face bland.

Miho woke up, crying loudly. Domino sat on the bed as though her legs had collapsed, and started to weep openly. Logan stood and picked up Miho, holding her gently. He stroked her hair softly, and then sat next to Domino, putting his arm around the teenager. Miho slowly calmed down, since the screaming had stopped, and she blinked up at Logan. Logan gave her a softer look, and then dragged Domino to her feet. Domino fought him, but only gave a token struggle. "Look. The reason I brought you here is because taking care of a kid is hard work. The clan might not think too highly of you, but the baby is one of theirs. That's why their panties are in a bunch. If you go back and let them help you with the kid, you'll all be better off."

Domino scrubbed at her eyes, leaving them red and raw. "Why can't I just go someplace else?" Her voice was small, almost pleading. Logan sighed and handed Miho off to Domino, who took the baby in her arms, holding her tightly, but not so tight that it made the little one uncomfortable.

"Gotta learn to stop running, kid. It's no life for either of you. How long have you been running? And what from? Things get rough, you take off. Going to do that with kid?" His tone wasn't accusatory, but he was gruffer than usual. "So you're unhappy where you are. Face it kid, everybody's unhappy where they are. Best you can ever do is deal with it and get on with life."

Domino glared at him. "That's fine if you're a mean old bastard who doesn't have anything to look forward to but dying someday, maybe. But I'm not pissing my life away in some godforsaken ninja clan just so my kid can have a substandard roof over her head. I can keep her safe and fed just fine on my own. Fuck them."

"Yeah, and what happens when someone gets lucky and shoots you while you're on a job? You going to have someone to take care of her who gives a fuck? I know you're not going to settle down. You want to be wild, then don't get knocked up."

Domino set Miho on the bed before crossing the room and slugging Logan as hard as she could. "I NEVER ASKED FOR ANY OF THIS!" Her voice was a shrill, high scream, and she felt as though she were going insane. "I just wanted to live on my own terms." She shook her head, amazed, now, that he'd let her hit him.

He rubbed his jaw a little. "Not bad. You hit a little harder than you used to."

She sulked a little at that. "I'm not apologizing."

He nodded. "Didn't expect you to. But you've gotta admit that I'm right. If something happens to you, and you stay here, she'll still have a family and a home, even if it does suck. If you get wasted out in the wild, you'll have no one to take care of her. Either settle down and get a legal job, a civilian life, or stay here and deal with the clan's bullshit" He was glad, for a moment, that he didn't have this kind of problem. He wouldn't have acted any better than her.

She shook her head, as though she could make her life different just by denying that. "Goddammit, I'm going to shoot Nathan in the fucking face if I ever see him again." But her decision was pretty much made. She would go back, at least until the kid could take care of herself.

"Yeah, it sucks, kid. At least now you know to be more careful." He eyed her, wondering if she would hit him again.

She sat on the bed again, stroking Miho's cheek, soothing the upset baby. "Go away, Logan." Her voice was soft, but not weak. "Go do whatever it is you're here to do." She lifted Miho, holding the infant close to herself. As far as she was concerned, the conversation was over.

He nodded and walked out of the room, lighting up his cigar when he was out of the room. At least she wasn't going to be stupid. That had to count for something.


	5. Chapter 4

It surprised Domino how fast her first year with Miho went. In hindsight, though, she had been pretty busy, and it made sense that time would fly by. To make up for her attempt to run away, Domino had been given no quarter in her work, and that meant all of her training time was taken up by keeping Miho fed and happy. At first this pissed her off a great deal, and she would work extra hard to finish quickly, just so she might have time to do a few stretches and maybe get in some work with her sensei. But with time she let herself relax into a pace that better suited her style. She was never a perfect picture of work ethic, but the complaints about her sloppy work stopped.

Miho grew like a weed, and Domino was surprised at how fast the girl seemed to learn. Watching her slowly go from a tiny red blob of helplessness to a bouncy, babbling crawling machine was one of the most amazing things she'd ever witnessed. Slowly, the resentment she'd felt at the loss of her life faded, replaced by her gratitude for the miracle she was witnessing.

Miho's first birthday was the first thing Domino had celebrated in years. Ever since she'd left the priest's house she'd refrained from taking part in any of the celebrations around her. There had just been nothing to celebrate, really. But Miho's birthday was a milestone for them both.

To honor it, Domino decided to make some pudding, since it was soft enough for the baby to eat, and really, she wasn't looking to spend all day making something that would get pilfered as soon as she went to sleep. It was difficult to keep food from being taken by the others, by the nature of the place and its training method. Better to make something she didn't mind losing.

She was oddly at peace as she made the pudding, measuring the milk carefully and humming along with the radio. Miho was sitting in her highchair, banging her tiny fists on the tray as Domino bounced around the kitchen. Every now and then Domino stopped to poke her tummy, or retrieve something the baby had stolen.

There was a knock on the partition that separated her living space from the one next to hers, and Domino blinked, taking the bowl with her so that she could keep mixing. She opened the partition with her foot, then bowed to the man who had knocked. He was one of the older ninja, and had actually managed to earn her respect. She was his housekeeper on Sundays, and he was one of the only elders who seemed to be able to clean up after himself. "_Hello, Gomi-sensei._" She bowed as much as she could with the bowl in her hands.

He smiled softly at her, eyes taking her in. "_Hello, Domino. I apologize for interrupting. I came to wish the little one a happy birthday, and tell you our plans for her._" His tone was soft, almost placating. Domino resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. Of course they had plans for Miho. Nothing the clan touched was left unmarred.

Having learned her lesson well, Domino pursed her lips and moved so that the older man could come into her portion of the house. She set the pudding in the fridge to set, and then sat down next to Miho's high chair. Miho waved at the man, making a happy squealing noise. "_Thank you for your hospitality, Domino. I would like a glass of water, it is a very hot day today._" Again, Domino gritted her teeth and said nothing, though she wanted to throw this man out of her home so badly it felt as though the desire would be plain on her face.

Even if he had her respect, he didn't have the right to infringe on Miho's birthday, or order her around in her own house. Except obviously he did. Rather than start a scene that would result in more chores for her, and a potential loss of position for Miho, Domino got the man a glass of water, and sat quietly at the table again.

When she sat the glass in front of him, he drank most of it before he started to speak. "I'll use English so that you can catch all the nuances of the things we have planned for her." His rudness, like all the others, knew no bounds. Domino had been fluent in Japanese before even setting foot on their soil. How dare they act as though she were an idiot. "Miho is a very charming young girl. You've managed to keep her healthy, despite the amount of work you have been assigned, and she's flourishing surprisingly well. We think she will be of use to us in a way that you have not been."

Domino kept her hands still on the table, though she wanted so badly to put his head through it. Maybe if she willed it hard enough, it would happen. "I apologize for not taking my near slavery well. What purpose do you have in mind for my girl?" She'd leave. Nothing was worth having her daughter stuck in this kind of bondage. Even growing up alone was preferable.

To his credit, he didn't scoff at her comparing her treatment to slavery. He just gave her a mild look that could mean anything. "You have made your desires and abilities well known, Domino. You are not suited to our work. Your love of violence is only surpassed by your love of mayhem, which we cannot use in most situations. Your daughter, however, has no love for chaos, beyond the norm for a girl her age. You had a handicap when you first arrived, by being so old, and so unlearned in our ways. A perfect candidate would have had difficulties passing, and you are far from."

He finished his water, and set the cup back down. "But Miho is young, and if she shares your spirit, then she will be perfect for our work." He looked at Domino, gauging how she would take this news. She tried hard to make her face passive and blank. It didn't work very well, but she did try.

"So you want to make my daughter a member of the clan, with all the rights and priveldges thereof?" Thereof? She was really showing how nervous she was. The man nodded. That was all that Domino needed. It was what she had been working so hard for since she'd returned. Miho would be safe and cared for, treated as another clan child, and not an outsider. "I want it in writing. This is a contract between the two of you."

He cocked his head. "Not between us, Domino?"

She shook her head. "Absoloutely not. You can break a contract with an outsider. But not a clan member, and if she wants to leave, she can buy herself out and leave the country safely. I'll sign for her, as her translator." This would be a deal the girl would know about from the moment she was old enough to understand it.

The man nodded, giving her a vague smile. "So be it. I have the contract with me. I'll add a line for the translator, Miho-chan." He nodded his head toward the baby. "How will she sign?"

"I've got an ink pad. Her handprint should suffice." Domino went to her desk and removed a stamp pad for the return addess stamp she used on the mail. "Show me the contract."

The contract wasn't terribly long. It said that Miho would be accepted as a natural born member of the clan, and would have benefits and rights that belonged to such. Domino nodded and went back to her daughter. Miho looked at the pad curiously as Domino pressed her hand to it, and then the paper, followed by her own signature, which was just a captialized 'D'.

The man signed his name as well, and put the contract back into the folder he was holding. "Happy birthday, Miho-chan. We will begin training tomorrow." He showed himself out, leaving Domino to sit at her table, lost in her thoughts.


	6. Chapter 5

It was Miho's second birthday. Domino stood in the cold outside of a Moscow cemetary, staring bleakly at the headstones. She hadn't seen her daughter in six months. The initial pain and shock had faded, but that left Domino essentially empty. She was seventeen, or thereabouts, and aching for a daughter that she never wanted.

The Clan had taken Miho in, as promised. Miho trained all day, and came home exhausted. Slowly, Miho spent more and more time away from Domino. At first the woman had resisted this change, angry that the Clan didn't let the girl come home. In time, Domino understood: they wanted Miho to be isolated from any outside influence. Namely, her very American mother.

Domino had been frantic, and left the clan that very evening to track down Logan. She needed his help. She couldn't get through this alone.

Her search had brought her here, to Russia. A man with unknown regenerative powers and the ability to drink a keg of vodka by himself was here. Domino figured that was her man. She'd come here as quickly as possible, but couldn't find a sign of Wolverine. The cold was getting to her, and she was too melancholy to put in a good hard search.

It startled Domino when she heard the sound of gunfire. With a grin, she loped off toward it, knowing that if Logan were here, that would be his location. She saw a man in a full body suit, including a facemask, running from a pair of humongous men with guns. He ran headlong into Domino, and they fell over together.

It was only then that Domino realized his mouth had been running the whole time. "Whooo, look at those sweet boobs! I must have fallen into Heaven. If I said you had a nice body would you hold it against me? Not here, mind you, because you'll probably get shot and I don't do dead chicks."

All this was said in the moment between bowling her over and running away. She watched in amazement as he ran, despite being hit by several well-aimed shots. After a moment, she laughed, realizing she'd made the same mistake twice. She'd found Wolverine looking for Deadpool, and Deadpool looking for Wolverine.

One of the two humongous men stopped, looking at Domino. He was an impressive man, with a no-nonsense attitude. He grabbed the other one by the shoulder, and the sound of shooting tapered off. "To Hell with Wilson. By the time we get him our contact will be gone anyway. He's not worth the money."

The first one to stop peered at Domino. "But it's not everyday a girl laughs at gunfire." She peered into his brown eyes, shrugging at him. His dark skin made him look like the only thing in focus in the bleary sunlight.

Domino looked from one man to the other, shrugging. "Guns don't bother me. I'm a big girl, I don't scare easily." She looked the first gunman in the eyes. "I'm Domino, and I need some hired help. I can't offer a lot of money, but it's a good cause, and I'll pay you back with whatever I have." Which was pretty much nothing but being an adorable teenager. If they asked for physical favors, she wouldn't even blink. She wanted her daughter back, dammit.

The second of the gunmen, who was a pale as the other was dark, sized Domino up. He had one intense blue eye, and one steel ball where the other eye had been. "That's not a good offer to make, little girl. If we were different men, we'd take you up on it."

The first man made a face. "You are some kind of nasty, Cable. I didn't even think about that." He shook his head, looking back down at Domino. "But he's right. You don't want anyone to take you up on that. What's so important, anyway?"

Domino looked at the two men, certain each could take on a clan of ninja on his own. She launched into a very abridged story of how she had come here, while both men looked on, their faces business-like and neutral. She finished quickly, looking up at the two of them.

The second man was the one to speak first. "You need to let this one be, Domino. She's in a safe place. Even if you don't like it, she must stay there." He said it with finality, as though he were certain of something she wasn't. Even his partner gave him a look, as though he had said something exasperating, but not surprising.

"You'll have to forgive Cable. He's a little out there. But we can't do what you're asking. There are too many casualties, and too many civilians, including your daughter, at risk. But we can get you back home, and you can apologize to your parents for worrying them sick."

Domino huffed, then turned and walked away. If those bastards wouldn't help, she'd find someone who would. Unbeknown to her, the men exchanged glances, before catching up to her, and picking her up, each one taking an arm.

After a fight, and a lot of cussing (mostly from Domino), she was knocked out and hauled onto Cable's shoulder. "I don't know if she'll like you very much when she wakes up, Cable."

Cable shrugged the arm not burdened with Domino's weight. "She doesn't get much say, Bridge. We can't leave her here to die. She might be important someday." Cable focused on the road ahead, while Bridge shook his head.

"You've got at least one screw loose. But she's got spirit, I'll give her that. Maybe in a couple years you could get her on this 'dream team' you've been talking about putting together since we first met." Bridge's tone was slightly teasing.

Cable was silent, obviously giving the suggestion some thought. Bridge only shook his head, following along after. "You're not going to train her, I know that for sure. Let me take her. She doesn't need to be hanging around an angsty loner like you, anyway."

Cable looked at the girl slung over his shoulder, then nodded, slowly. "Yeah, okay. She's got some nerve, at least. Maybe she'll be able to stand your cooking."

Bridge scoffed at that, but didn't say anything. "I wonder how she got the freaky tattoo. She doesn't look old enough for it." He peered at the young girl, wondering what kind of mess he'd gotten into.

Domino was tossed in the back of their van, and the men headed out of Moscow. It surprised the Hell out of them both when Domino put a gun to Cable's head ten minutes later. "Pull this goddamn van over right now, or this ugly bastard will need ball bearings to replace his brains, too."

Bridge stared at the girl, then realized what it probably looked like. He sighed, pulling the van over, his hands up. Cable, for his part, seemed to be restraining the urge to laugh, which both Bridge and Domino found annoying.

"You guys are completely sick. Sick! I ought to blow you both to Hell." Her voice was raw, but her hands were steady on the gun. "Get out of the van, and start walking."

Bridge made a motion to grab Domino's gun, only to get kicked in the face, hard enough to bounce into the steering wheel on the other side. He was dazed, staring at the young girl who was hijacking their van. "I SAID OUT!"

Cable reached down slowly, opening his door. "I think we ought to do what she says, Bridge. She's got us."

Bridge nodded, his expressino pretty dopey. He left the car with a stagger in his step. Domino hurried into the driver's seat and took off, both doors still hanging open. The two men stared after it for a moment, silent.

Cable looked at Bridge, who shook his head slowly. "That never happened. We did not just get schooled by a little girl."


	7. Chapter 7

The next year Domino spent in jail. She was pulled over for driving with the van doors open, and when the police searched her vehicle, she was named a political dissident. She was processed quickly, and kept in a special part of the prison, lest she incite a riot.

It was hard on the young girl, but far from the worst thing she'd ever gone through. The boredom, more than anything else, bothered her. She spent most of her time working out or reading. It was during this time that Domino realized she was actually pretty fond of books. Before she hadn't had the time or patience for reading, but being in prison meant that she had all the time in the world.

She was sickly in the prison, because the climate was much different from Japan's, and the food made her stomach rebel. It got worse as fall turned into winter, and Domino was forced to stay inside all day, except when doing her chores.

When they brought the strange redheaded woman in, Domino was taken to the infirmary with a very high fever. She spent the night delirious, certain something was about to happen, and wishing that it would, simply so she would have something interesting to experience.

Around 3 am she got her wish. A loud noise outside the infirmary woke Domino up, and she saw one of the men who she'd spoken to on her last day of freedom dragging the redheaded woman into the room. She sat up, watching the pale man talk quietly with the woman.

"Hey, you're one of those creepy rapists." Both parties stiffened, and the man turned toward Domino, surprised. As he turned, the woman bandaged her left arm, which was covered in blood, though Domino couldn't see the wound.

"I wondered what happened to you. I know our van's in impound. Illegal gun smuggling?" He turned back to the redhead, tightening the bandage where she couldn't.

"Intent to incite unrest or some shit like that. You breaking that woman out?" Domino leaned forward a little, to get a closer look at the pair.

The redhead nodded when Cable hesitated. "Yes. It is no secret now, mercenary. Do you know this girl?" The woman's English was good, even if she had a pretty thick Russian accent. For a moment Domino felt a certain amount of glee just to hear English again.

"Yeah. I guess I helped her get in here. You up for running, girl?" The older man spoke to Domino over his shoulder, as he finished binding the redhead's wound.

Domino slid out of the bed, staggering a bit. "Fuck yes. And I'm not a girl, I'm a political terrorist. Get your facts straight, old man."

He chuckled, stepping away from the woman. "Alright. Political terrorist, meet the Black Widow. Now that we all know each other, let's get the Hell out of here."

The group slipped out of the infirmary, and Domino was impressed with how silent the humongous man was when he moved. At first things went smoothly. The Black Widow, as Cable had called her, moved like an alley cat. For a moment, Domino was jealous. Even though she was small, she was the clunkiest member of the group, being half-delirious. She stayed close to Cable's back, while the Black Widow took point.

They had nearly reached the door to the exercise yard when they were caught. The Black Widow moved like lightening, taking out two guards before they had a chance to speak, though the third and fourth escaped. Cable grunted, bringing a gun to bear and taking the last two out with a pair of shots that echoed incredibly through the stone prison. Domino covered her ears, glowering at the man.

"We must run now. Carry the child if you can." With that, the woman slipped out the door, bolting across the yard at an unbelievable speed. Cable hauled Domino up onto his shoulder before she could complain, and they were soon on the redhead's tail.

Dogs were chasing after them, which Domino, being head down facing them, found to be quite disturbing. Rather than interrupt her getaway vehicle, she pulled his gun from the holster, taking random pot shots at the dogs. Five out of seven shots hit their targets, which was amazing, considering her almost complete inability to aim. Luckily, there had only been four dogs chasing them.

Domino didn't see the hole in the fence, or the van that she had stolen idling just outside the opening until she was through the hole. She mustered up enough energy for a tired "Woo" before she was set inside the van, to sleep.

She woke up a couple hours and a few hundred miles later. The Black Widow was sitting across from Domino, also asleep, or at least apparently so. Domino studied the older woman for a moment, before crawling up to the front to talk to Cable and the driver, who she did not doubt at all was Bridge.

Bridge eyed her warily in the rear-view mirror, and Cable laughed. "I don't think she's going to hit you again, G.W."

Bridge grumbled under his breath, but kept driving. Domino leaned on the empty seat between the two men. "So. . . who the fuck are you two?"

Cable thought about the question for a minute, then shrugged. G.W. gave him a sharp look, shaking his head 'no'. "We're mercenaries. We were hired to get the Black Widow out of jail. The first time we met you, we were trying to neutralize Deadpool. That's the kind of thing we do."

Domino digested this, then laughed a little. "You know, I think I need a new line of work. I can't go back where I came from, and I don't have any plans. Do you guys need any help?"

Cable gave Bridge a curious look, and was rewarded with a scowl. After a momentary stare down, Bridge sighed. "We'll see. I'm not running a freaking day care."

Domino snorted, sitting back down as another wave of nausea hit her. "Just give me my chance. I'll surprise the hell out of you."

Cable eyed her up and down once, then nodded. "You just might. " He turned back forward, and then clapped Bridge on the shoulder. "Better get used to it GW.. Looks like our little wild pack has grown by one." And his laugh accompanied the van accelerating, down the road and away from the past.


End file.
